Take a mom of 3, stir in 4 vegan cookbooks, add a rounded cup of staying at home, and mix with a hefty pinch of recipe testing!

Friday, March 03, 2006

ENERGY Cookies!

Whenever I make these, I wonder why I've waited so long! These are my Energy Cookies from Vive le Vegan! (p.38). They are a cross between a mini-muffin and a cookie, not as sweet as a dessert cookie, but smaller and more cookie-like than a muffin!

I love these. Well, we all love these. You can feel good about eating them too, because these energy dynamos are packed with sunflower seeds, hemp seed nuts, pumpkin seeds, flax meal, raisins, NOrefined flours, and NO refined sugars. They also have carob chips (or chocolate chips), but if you want to omit these you absolutely can, and you can sub in some more dried fruit or nuts if you want.

Now, I know you may be thinking "how good can they be with all these earthy ingredients?" Well, they have lots of flavor from cinnamon, pure maple syrup, and also a touch of blackstrap molasses. Full of flavor, texture, and packed with nutritious ingredients for an energizing snack any time of the day!

25 comments:

I definetely trust you, Dreena--especially when it comes to anything cookie-ish.

btw, I will be making the oat bars either today or tomorrow. I still haven't decided if I am gonna include the fresh strawberries or try and find some dried ones. I'll post a picture of them on my blog.

Ooohhh! Those look so yummmy! I have such a sweet tooth and I am always looking for something healthful to satify it!

I also have a question, off subject, but about vegan cooking anyway :) I have been trying to perfect my spicy sweet potato fries lately(trying to make a healtier version my regular potato version). I usually toss them with some olive oil and various spices then bake in the oven. The problem is that they always turm out really soft. I am trying to get a more cripsy texture. Since you appear to be a cooking goddess, I was wondering if you had any suggestions.

Hi Emily! They definitely are a 'pick me up', and super easy to make, just need to be sure you have the ingredients before-hand!

Thanks 'anonymous'!! I will certainly give you a few tips on the fries, and hopefully they will help! I make yam/sweet potato fries a lot, and we love them. If you are using the orange flesh potatoes, they have more moisture than the yellow flesh, and so, yes, they are prone to baking up 'soft' as fries. A few things to try:- Cut your fries thinner. I sometimes do wedge fries, but when I cut them thinner like regular fries, they are more crispy/chewy. - Cook them until they are looking somewhat 'charred'. The more brownish/blackened edges, the crispier and chewier they are. I keep saying 'chewy', because unlike white potatoes, the orange taters become more chewy when the crisp up. So, cook until quite browned around the edges and in spots. - Don't overload your baking pan. If you have more room for your fries to spread out, they won't 'steam' while cooking, and should get a little more crispy.Good luck, let me know if this helps any!! :)

Thanks Kim! I really hope you like them and find some recipes that are 'regulars' for you!

Hey Mal!! Great to see you again... please let us know on your blog what desserts you make over the weekend. :)

Just saw your new comment, anonymous. No worries! I don't even remember really answering that question anyhow (mommy brain, perhaps?). Have a look at my suggestions above... :)

I made your Sweet Curry Chickpea Casserole yesterday for my non-veggie sister. She really liked it. We had it with a side of lemon/spinach couscous and a lettuce/cucumber salad. It was a nice, light meal.

No problem, Harmonia, hemp seed nuts are not something that a lot of us have on hand or have even tried, which brings me to...

Vicki, hi! Hemp has a flavor somewhat similar to the flavor of sunflower seeds. The seeds are quite small though, about the size of sesame seeds, but roundish and some green color, and with a softer texture. Yes, this recipe is in Vive le Vegan!, as is more information about hemp products and cooking with them, how they taste, nutrition, etc. You can also check www.manitobaharvest.com for more info. This is the company that makes the line of hemp products that I use, and one of the more well-known brands out there. Hope this helps! :)

Hi Elizebeth... thanks!!! I'm super pleased to know that you love these cookies - and your 2 year old as well. These are the kind of cookies you can feel good about giving kids, too, because they are just packed with nutritious ingredients. Thank you very much for that splendid compliment! :)

Yeah, I guess most schools don't allow peanuts/nuts... are seeds okay for your school? Just trying to get a sense for when my daughter starts kindergarten - I know the nut/peanut allergy is so problematic!

Re the red onions... I know, I go a tad red onion overload!! :) I do prefer the flavor to white onions, they are a bit milder and also often nicer looking in recipes. But, by all means, sub in regular onions whenever you want - usually easier and cheaper to buy!

Parchment paper - yes!!! Thank goodness for it! It saves me in the kitchen. For baking, home fries, pizzas, just about everything. Even when I do burritos or something in a small baking dish I line the bottom with a little, any leaks/spills will go onto the parchment instead of burning onto your baking sheet/dish. What a time and patience saver! :)